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Boycott
On April 1, 1933, the Nazis launched a nationwide boycott of Jewish shops and businesses throughout Germany. -
takeover of power 1933
In March 1933, after being appointed chancellor, Adolf Hitler delivered his speech at the inaugural session of the German Parliament (Reichstag). -
SEARCH FOR REFUGE
Jews in Vienna stand in line at a police station to obtain exit visas. After the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in March 1938, which triggered a wave of humiliation, terror, and confiscation, many Austrian Jews sought to flee the country. -
The War Begins
Parts of Warsaw lie in ruins after the German military invaded and conquered Poland in September 1939, an event that marked the beginning of World War II in Europe. -
NAZI RACE LAWS
Residents of Rostock, Germany, observe a burning synagogue the morning after Kristallnacht (“Night of Broken Glass”). On the night of November 9–10, 1938, the Nazi regime instigated a wave of coordinated anti-Jewish violence throughout greater Germany. -
AMERICAN RESPONSES
In May 1939, the passenger ship St. Louis—pictured here before leaving Hamburg—sailed from Germany to Cuba, carrying 937 passengers, the majority of whom were Jews. -
Life In the Getto
In November 1940, German authorities sealed off the Warsaw ghetto, drastically limiting supplies for the over 300,000 Jews living there. -
Postwar Trails
Starting in October 1945, 22 major war criminals were put on trial for charges including crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and conspiracy to commit these offenses.